Making Brittle Bones Strong

Published: November 16, 1999 12:00 AM

It is often thought of as a condition of women in old age that is inevitable.

But new research is shedding light on the brittle bones disease that shrinks the once tall person and forms the dowagers hump: osteoporosis.

According to Wooster Community Hospital Physical Therapist Virginia Campbell, osteoporosis is a reduction in bone mass to the point bones become fragile. This can easily lead to a broken hip, crushed vertebra or fractured wrist. It has often been thought of as a disease of old age. However, as Campbell said, "Research is now showing that toddlers who do not exercise and have poor eating habits have osteoporosis." Campbell added it is also becoming more common in teenagers due to sedentary lifestyles, the desire to be thin and poor eating habits. It is also much more prevalent than was once realized. She said that by the age of 70, two out of every three women will get the disease and one of every five men will also be diagnosed with osteoporosis.

According to Campbell, it is now estimated that the American health care system as a whole will spend an estimated $10 billion treating the effects of this debilitating disease.

Campbell also outlined some of the warning signs of the disease including loss of body height, periodontal disease, fractures, back pain, protruding abdomen, transparent skin and postural changes.

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When a diagnosis of osteoporosis is made, usually through a bone densitometry scan, there are now more effective ways of managing the disease including a self-managment program. This program is now being offered at WCH and includes exercises, nutrition, and pain medication.

There are four to six sessions in the program that begins with a thorough evaluation of the patient. According to Campbell, this includes height and weight measurements, strength assessment, range of motion tests, balance and assessing gait.

Margaret Collins is the first person to complete the program at the hospital and said she feels like it has been beneficial to her. Campbell was a farmer's wife and had exercised all of her life. She did not realize she had osteoporosis until she pulled some muscles in her back. She was in pain all of the time and had a bone densitometry scan in Cleveland to confirm her condition.

Collins has been working with Campbell to learn exercises to strengthen her back. She is also learning exercises to improve her balance.

Exercise stresses the bone, which, according to Campbell, strengthens the bone. By contracting the muscle, pressure is put on the bone therefore making the bone stronger. "There are studies out now that show women in their 90's can increase muscle mass by doing strength exercises, " Campbell said.

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"My back doesn't hurt as much as it did before," Collins said. Even though she has completed her program at the hospital, she is not done with exercises. She, like any other patient in the program, must continue with her exercises in order to slow the progress of the disease.

Campbell said the first thing she teaches people is to lie down. "If your back hurts, most people sit down." She added, "This is the worst thing you can do because it causes the spine to compress and puts more pressure on your back." Campbell suggests lying down, with your knees bent, when your back hurts because this puts the least amount of pressure on the back.

Another aspect of the program is to learn how to perfrom activities of daily living in a safe manner. "Bending your knees if you lift something and being aware of your posture is important," Campbell said.

One aspect of the program is to allow people to maintain their normal lifestyles. "Often, people diagnosed with osteoporosis become fearful of falling and then life becomes very restricted," Campbell said.

There are ways to prevent the progress of the disease. "You have to build a strong bone bank as a child and a teenager," Campbell said. This includes eating a healthy diet and exercising.

Anyone interested in learning more about the program should call WCH at (330) 263-8100.